Continuous ore converter



July 29, 1941. w. H. MERK EL CONTINUOUS ORE CONVERTER 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. /V/7//'4m Meflke/ Filed April 15, 1940 & R

ATTORNEYS y 29, w. H. MERKEL ,1

CONTINUOUS ORE CONVERTER Filed April 15, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I x, I o a o o n a 'I I I 0-; 74 54- 6 f X9 l o 0 o u I I .L I 1 n I P.

o c o o o INVENT OR.

BY 2 i 2 I ATTORNEY$- Patented July 29, 1941 CONTINUOUS ORE CONVERTER William H. Merkel, Independence, Mo., assignor to Consolidated Mining & Reduction Company, Boulder, 0010., a corporation of Colorado Application April 15, 1940, Serial No. 329,681

3 Claims. (Cl. 263-23) This invention relates to ore treating apparatus and particularly that type of converter known as a continuous acting means, and the primary object is the provision of a device for heating or roasting ore to condition the same so that the desired materials may be extracted therefrom.

The invention has for one of its important aims, the provision of ore treating apparatus wherein is created a continuous serpentine path for the reception of the ore being treated, certain stretches of said path lying between conduits through which is passed the products of combustion from the furnace,

A yet further object of this invention is to provide apparatus of the foregoing character wherein is arranged a retort having a plurality of ducts and a plurality of compartments, all arranged to present a pair of serpentine paths through one of which the ore is passed while the products of combustion are drawn through the remaining path, whereby the ore being treated is heated from both above and below.

The invention has for a yet further aim, the provision of ore treating apparatus having a retort therein that is divided into interconnecting ducts and intercommunicating compartments for the passage of ore and products of combustion respectively, a certain portion of each of said ducts and compartments being common and arranged to direct the ore through that portion in paths of travel intersecting the path of travel therein of said products of combustion.

The invention has for a further object, the provision of effective, durable and unique apparatus for directing the ore being treated, along the serpentine path of travel in a step-by-step fashion for the purpose of causing the ore to dwell periodically as it passes from the inlet throat of the retort to the outlet thereof.

Minor objects of this invention will appear during the course of the following specification, referring to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through a continuous ore converter made in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detailed sectional view through one means of actuating the rabbling blades.

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross sectional view through the converter taken on line III-III of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detailed sectional View taken on line I V-IV of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is. a; fra m ntary c n e sed Cross.

tional view through a portion of the converter adjacent to one of the rabbling blades; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view taken on line VI-VI of Fig. 5.

It has been found desirable to subject the ore to relatively high temperatures and to thereby drive off certain of the elements prior to extracting precious metals therefrom. The separa-. tion of the constituents of the ore best occurs when an even heat is applied to the mass over a relatively long period of time and preferably as the mass is being stirred to maintain an even temperature throughout so that all elements are separated sumciently to render it relatively easy to extract the valuable portions therefrom.

Since it is more economical to continuously pass the ore through the converter, this latter requisite has been combined with known require-. ments of a converter, with respect to the application of heat and agitation in the production of the preferred type of apparatus, illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

The numeral 8 designates the furnace generally, which comprises a fire box ID, a flue l2 and the usual foundation l4, upon which the parts embodying this invention are mounted.

Furnace 8 has end walls It, a top l8, and side walls 20, all formed of fire brick or similar substance so that a high temperature may be maintained within the confines thereof.

In addition to fire box In, the converter includes booster burners 22arranged between fire. box In and flue [2 so that as the products of combustion approach the flue, the temperature may bemaintained high and heat exchange between said products and the ore being treated, maintained constant.

Pyrometers 24 assist the operator in determining the temperature being maintained Within furnace 8 and outlet ports 26 joined to pipe 28 which communicate with manifold 30, serve as means for escape for the fumes and vapors evolved within the tubular compartments through which passes the ore, as will more fully hereinafter be set down.

A retort made of metal and indicated generally by the numeral 32, is within furnace 8 and built up of sections so as to present a plurality of horizontally disposed ducts 34, all of which are interconnected by by-pass chambers 36 created between end walls I 6 of furnace 8 and end walls 38 of retort 32. These end walls 38 are provided with openings 40, one of which is at each end of each duct 34, and when parts 34,36, 38 and 40 are arranged as shown in Fig. 1, the path of travel of the products of combustion from fire box 10 to fiue I2 will be as indicated by the arrows.

A plurality of horizontally positioned tubular compartments 42 are arranged with respect to ducts 34 so that the same are in alternating relation thereto and so that there is a compartment 42 between a pair of ducts. These compartments 42 are interconnected by ways 44, the arrangement of which is such that they form a part of each duct 34. Each way 44 is a box-like cavity having openings 46 in each wall thereof for the passage of products of combustion as well as the ore being treated.

The uppermost compartment 42 has one end thereof connected to hopper 48 through the medium of an inlet throat 50 wherein is positioned the conventional type feeder 52, operated by an electric motor 54. The lowermost compartment 42 has an outlet trough 56 for the escape of the treated ore and a screw conveyor 58 in said trough moves the ore laterally out through one side of furnace 8. Opposed holes 66 in throat i] allow the passage of the products of combustion through the ore as it is being introduced to retort 32.

Means for periodically advancing the ore is in each compartment 42. The floor member 62 which forms a partition between that particular compartment 42 and the duct 34, immediately therebeneath, is attached to side plates 64 through the medium of ears 66 and 68 integral with members 62 and 64 respectively. A track Ill integral with floor member 62 extends along each longitudinal edge thereof at a point spaced inwardly from plates 64 and this track supports cross head 12 which is L-shaped in cross section and upon which is hingedly mounted a rabbling blade 74. The hinge assembly 76 is intermediate the upper and lower edges of cross head 12 so that blade 14 may move about the said hinge assembly 15 in one direction, but not in a direction opposite thereto from a vertical normal plane.

Blade 14 is perforated as at 78 and each compartment 42 contains a number of blades 14 all of which are mounted on their respective cross heads 12, which in turn are joined by a pipe or rod 80 that extends through one end of furnace 8 to a beam 82. Tubular spacing elements 84 between cross heads 12 hold the latter against displacement. All of pipes 80 are joined to beam 82 and the latter is reciprocably mounted in guides 86 carried on the outside of end wall [6 of furnace 8. Beam 82 is joined to suitable means for reciprocating the same.

A connecting rod 88 in the illustrated embodiment of the driving mechanism, shown in Fig. 2, joins piston 90 in cylinder 92 and tubes 94 communicate with cylinder 92 to alternately introduce thereinto a fluid under pressure which will move piston 96 to and fro.

Obviously, it will occur to one skilled in the art that suitable gearing, not here shown, may be provided for the purpose of driving beam 82 and while I have shown a number of means for moving the blades 14 in all of compartments 42, it is understood that separate mechanism for each set of blades may be employed if desired.

As will be observed from a study of Fig. 1, rabbling blades 14 of alternate compartments 42, are arranged to hinge in the same direction, while the blades of the intermediate compartments, hinge in a direction opposite to'those in the alternate compartments. Such disposition of parts causes the ore being treated to pass through approximal compartments in opposite directions and thereby continue through the serpentine path formed by the interconnected compartments 42 from the point of entry at throat 50, to the point of exit at trough 56.

As the ore advances from throat 50 along the upper compartment 42, for example, it will pass between the uppermost duct 34 and a duct 34 immediately below this uppermost compartment 42. The only material separating the ore from the products of combustion will be the metal floor members 62 and the upper walls 96 of retort 32. As the ore passes downwardly through inlet throat 50, products of combustion will move transversely across said throat and through holes 60 on its way to flue [2.

When the reciprocating rabbling blades 14 of uppermost compartment 42 have moved the ore being treated to the end of compartment 42, which communicates with way 44, it (the ore) will drop down through openings 46 and into the next lower compartment. As the ore is so dropping, products of combustion passing through by-passing chamber 36, will enter openings 46 in the opposed vertical sides forming way 44 and intersect the path of travel of the ore. The same action occurs at each way 44 and in addition to heat being applied to the ore through the metal forming the parts of retort 32, heat is directly applied at each way 44 and in throat 50.

The speed of travel of the means for actuating rabbling blades 14 may be adjusted to suit conditions and to accommodate the amount of ore which a converter of given size must handle in a particular period of time.

The sectional nature of the converter embodying the modified form of this invention, is such as to permit the addition of parts to increase the length of the serpentine paths of travel of both the ore and the products of combustion from fire box l0.

Due to the last mentioned advantages and the specific construction of parts as hereinabove set down; the converter becomes a highly advantageous piece of apparatus for the economical handling of all types of ore.

It is conceivable that machines having physical characteristics other than those illustrated and described may be made to embody the invention without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. Oretreating apparatus of the character described comprising a furnace having a fire box and a flue; a retort in the furnace provided with a plurality of ducts arranged to pass products of combustion from the fire box to the flue through a serpentine path; ore-receiving compartments formed between said ducts in the retort interconnected to form a serpentine path of travel for the ore; and means for moving the ore through said serpentine path in the compartments, a portion of the retort being an interconnecting common way between two of the ducts and two of the compartments, the passage a plurality of horizontal ducts interconnected to pass products of combustion from the fire box to the fiue through a serpentine path; horizontal ore-receiving compartments interconnected to form a serpentine path of travel for the ore; and means for periodically advancing the ore along the serpentine path of travel through the compartments, said ducts and the compartments being one above the other in alternated relation whereby to dispose a compartment between two ducts, said means for periodically advancing the ore comprising a track extending longitudinally along each compartment respectively, a plurality of cross-heads mounted on the track, a connecting rod joining the cross-heads and extending exteriorly of the furnace, and a blade hingedly mounted on each cross-head respectively.

3. Ore treating apparatus of the character described comprising a furnace having a fire box and a flue; a retort in the furnace provided with a plurality of horizontal ducts interconnected to pass products of combustion from the fire box to the flue through a serpentine path; horizontal ore-receiving compartments interconnected to form a serpentine path of travel for the ore; and means for periodically advancing the ore along the serpentine path of travel through the compartments, said ducts and the compartments being one above the other in alternated relation whereby to dispose a compartment between two ducts, said means for periodically advancing the ore comprising a track extending longitudinally along each compartment respectively, a plurality of cross-heads mounted on the track, a connecting rod joining the cross-heads and extending exteriorly of the furnace, a power unit for reciprocating the rod, and a blade hingedly mounted on each cross-head respectively, said blades being adapted to ride over the ore as the rod moves in one direction and to transport the ore as the rod is moved in the opposite direction.

WILLIAM H. MERKEL. 

